How does the New York Knicks bench compare to others in the NBA?

The New York Knicks bench vs the Los Angeles Lakers bench

For as much as the purple and gold (or should I say the purple and old?) have gotten clowned for the team’s overall age, it can’t be denied that the Lakers bench will be very good in 2021-22.

Knicks legend Carmelo Anthony is the headliner for LA’s projected bench unit. Anthony is bringing top-notch catch-and-shoot 3-point shooting and scoring ability to Hollywood in his chase for a ring.

While it is unclear exactly who will be filling in at the starting shooting guard slot, Los Angeles is nothing if not bountiful when it comes to players who can take on that role. The Lakers have a huge stockpile of wings ready to launch threes. This group includes Kent Bazemore, Trevor Ariza, Wayne Ellington, and Malik Monk.

Talen Horton-Tucker is a solid young player who has many fans in the organization due to his shot-creation and promise as a playmaker and defender.

A pair of former Lakers have made a return. Rajon Rondo and Dwight Howard are back for their second and third stints in LA, respectively. The team also acquired former all-star center DeAndre Jordan and 2019 rookie standout Kendrick Nunn in free agency.

The Lakers are expected to be contenders regardless of how deep their team is, but it certainly doesn’t hurt that their supporting cast looks this good. Not to mention just about any player can find their fit when playing alongside LeBron James.

All of these players will have a very defined role playing alongside ‘Bron, Anthony Davis, and now Russell Westbrook. Those three will bear much of the burden. Everyone else’s job is to hit their open shots, play defense, or both.

While I certainly think the Knicks bench is more talented, there is no question that many if not all of the Lakers reserves are a better fit when swapped with a member of the starting five. That’s the luxury of having three all-stars.

Do I think the Knicks bench is better, I’d say yes, but not by much. Obi Toppin (shooting), Nerlens Noel (rebounding), and Taj Gibson (not really great at any one thing) all have qualities about them that can hamper the quality of certain Knicks lineups.

You don’t really see that with the Lakers unless you go out of your way to force an unrealistic lineup. I see it as much less of a concern for the Lakers to mask any individuals player’s shortcomings when compared to New York.